Ten-year-old Salia lives at home with her sisters and her mom and dad—but it wasn’t always possible for them to be together. Both of Salia’s parents have struggled with addiction; she’s one of the 5.7 million U.S. children living in a household with a parent who has a substance abuse disorder. Now, to support children and families affected by parental addiction, Sesame Workshop has created freely available content and tools featuring Sesame favorites like Elmo and Abby Cadabby—and their friend Karli, a 6 ½-year-old Sesame Street Muppet whose mom is dealing with addiction. The resources, which are part of our Sesame Street in Communities program, deliver the words children need to hear most: You are not alone. You will be taken care of. Addiction is a sickness and, as with any sickness, people need help to get better. And most importantly: It’s not your fault. As for Salia, now that her parents are home and in recovery, she and her mom practice coping techniques like meditation—and Salia even teaches other kids similar skills that helped her manage big feelings.
Going through tough times is harder for families—but when they get to the end of it, they end up stronger.
– Salia, age 10